From One Queen to Another
by Kuruk
Summary: As Katherine of Aragon leaves Henry VIII's court, she is confronted by the young and cunning Anne Boleyn. In Katherine, Anne sees a defeated old rival in her pursuit of her ambitions. In Anne, Katherine sees the key to unleashing the madness of a tyrant.


_Hello, Tudor fanbase. I'm Kuruk._

_Books like 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and 'The Constant Princess' by Philippa Gregory inspired this oneshot. It's a confrontation between Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn as Katherine is sent away from court and Henry sends Wolsey to appeal to Rome for an annulment. This probably didn't happen back then, but it would have been interesting to see intelligent and loving Katherine confront the witty and fiery Anne._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Tudors, any of Philippa Gregory's books or history. I do, however, recommend that you read Philippa Gregory's Tudor novels. Any lover of the Tudors would love these books. :)_

_I hope you enjoy this!_

* * *

_**From One Queen to Another**_

Katherine of Aragon did not show a flicker of emotion on her face as they led her from what had been her rooms. She did not show a flicker of emotion when she learned that she could not see her daughter the Princess Mary again eve when she was ill. She did not show a flicker of emotion when she learned that her husband had denied her as his wife.

She was Queen of England, a Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world had ever seen; Fernando of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, who had unified Spain and defeated the moors, commander of the army that had defeated Scotland in the first years of Henry's rule.

Emotion was not fitting for her.

As dignified and as graceful as ever, Katherine followed the king's men through the passageways of her palace.

Even then there were people gathered to see the old queen leave. Some that had stayed her friend even when Henry began this looked grieved, angry, saddened. Others that had betrayed her for Henry's mistress, that Boleyn girl, could barely conceal the pleasure in their faces at the fall of the old, barren queen and the promise of the rise of a new queen who would surely put a son in England's nursery.

To both, Katherine did not show emotion. She simply walked past them, serene as if she were simply heading out to the gardens to take a walk, or to pray. If no one had known of the scandal Henry had began to please the Boleyn girl, then they would've never suspected that anything was wrong; Queen Katherine was as regal as ever, as queenly as ever.

Even then, Katherine was almost certain that Henry could not go through with it. Katherine could not imagine Henry, who she had met when he was just a spoiled ten year old prince that got whatever he wanted when she the most beautiful woman in Christendom and engaged to be married to his older brother and had watched him grow into a spoiled man who demanded everything he wanted and she his queen, could banish her.

Henry, who had jousted under the name 'Sir Loyal Heart' for her. Henry, who had had numerous affairs with all kinds of women and had always returned to her. Henry, who had kissed her forehead comfortingly after each miscarriage, even when their first live baby had been a girl and not the prince they needed to make England secure. Henry, who had been the young man that had promised to be her husband after Arthur had died and she a young widow. Henry, who when he was a boy escorted her to her first wedding, who flushed at her compliments, who danced at her carelessly and relished in her attention.

The Boleyn girl was just another affair, another woman that would captivate his heart and then she would pass him by and he would send for her and she would come, return to court as Queen of England.

The Boleyn girl could never be queen. Katherine and Henry were rightfully married in the sight of God; no matter how much that traitorous Wolsey or the disloyal Campeggio appealed to Rome. His Holiness the Pope knew it; all of England knew it, her family in Spain knew it, Henry knew it, and she knew that the Boleyn girl knew it too; that even if she was banished, she would still be his queen, his wife, and she nothing but his mistress.

The men before her halt and she does as well, mindful of the sound of the handful of ladies that stopped behind her. At once the men part, and standing before her is the Boleyn girl, her dark eyes staring at her in victory.

"Ah, Your Grace the Dowager Princess," Anne Boleyn said pleasantly, sinking into a curtsy, "It is a pleasure to see you before you leave."

The old queen stared at her husband's mistress squarely. She is not afraid of this loathsome creature that wriggled her way into the king's heart through the efforts of her sister Mary and her family and her wit and intelligence. Katherine, who has faced the moors and seen her mother ride out in battle armor, who had led the battle against the Scots and held England while Henry fought France, in her own armor.

"Mistress Anne Boleyn," the queen said, her voice cool and composed, "I thank you for your farewell."

Anne's black gaze meets Katherine's blue one challengingly. "I am the one who has been honored to have been in Your Grace's service. I am most saddened by your leaving, do you know when you are coming back?"

Katherine ignores the barbed insult and the scandalized murmurs from her ladies and Anne's victorious smile. "When my lord king asks me to him, then I shall come," Katherine said steadily, meeting the Boleyn girl's gaze fearlessly.

The Boleyn girl does not bother to hold back the careless giggle that comes to her lips. Her pale face lightens with her laugh, her dark glossy hair shines in the sunlight, her French hood carelessly falling a bit more backward. "Well, His Majesty will certainly know best when to have you back, Your Grace," Anne' eyes were dark slits, "In the meanwhile, however, I do wonder what we ladies-in-waiting shall do without a queen to serve..."

They both knew very well that the majority of Katherine's ladies had already been flocking to Anne months before this day, that in her absence Anne would take the queen's rooms and act as unofficial queen. They both, however, ignored this.

"I am certain that your lord uncle will find something for you to keep you occupied," Katherine said steadily, patiently.

The conversation was no longer of a faithful lady-in-waiting wishing her mistress farewell as she left. The pleasantries had been exchanged, and that was all that was necessary. But still Anne detained Katherine, and the old queen saw anger flicker past the younger woman's composure.

"Certainly His Majesty cannot be so angry with you as to keep you away for so long," Anne said, voice still light and carefree, yet with malice behind it.

Katherine understood in a moment with the wisdom of a woman that has been a royal since the day she was born. The Council of Inquiry, when they had summoned Katherine to face her accusers. The Boleyn girl had obviously expected that Katherine would not come; that after they disgraced her, separated her from her friends and threatened her with never seeing her daughter again that she would not dare face them.

What fools they were. They did not know who she was, that she had not always been the old queen Katherine of England. That beneath it all she was still Catalina, the Infanta of Spain, the Princess of Wales, who had been born on the battlefield and had watched her parents conquer Spain from the moors who had not been defeated for centuries, who had been raised under the unshakable conviction that God was with her and His will must be done. The same woman that had married Prince Arthur for a political connection and had fallen in love with him despite herself and then lost him after five months of marriage. Who for love of him and for her parent's wishes told the greatest lie a woman had ever told; had denied her husband having her so that she could marry Henry and become Queen of England as she was born to be.

They thought that after they threatened her daughter's inheritance she would justs it idly by. Katherine would never deprive Mary; her precious Mary, of her inheritance. If she had not fought Mary would be declared illegitimate and instead a child got on that Boleyn girl would be queen.

That Katherine would not fight to preserve what was her daughter's birthright?

The assumption that she would not was their mistake.

Instead of cowering in her rooms, Katherine had gone to face her accusers. She had ignored everyone and everything; her eyes were on Henry, who could not bring himself to look at her.

Not a word was said against her by Henry that day.

And that was a defeat for the Boleyn girl. Anne Boleyn had thought that she held the King of England so completely. But with her mere presence Katherine of Aragon had silenced him; had prevented him from accusing her that day. And for one such as Anne Boleyn, she could not fathom how a woman like Katherine of Aragon could hold a man more that she ever could... it angered her.

And now she wished to flaunt her victory in front of her; to show her that she had won in the end.

She had not.

She never would.

"Leave us," Katherine' voice was like ice, and even if she did not have the authority to dismiss the king's men, they distanced themselves anyway, her ladies sinking into respectful curtsies and leaving quickly, "Perhaps you should speak clearly, Mistress Boleyn," Katherine recommended; challenged her.

Anne said nothing. The look on her face said it all. It was proud, victorious, and fool of loathing and hate. In her, Katherine saw everything she was not. She saw the death of England; not through her, but through everything she would show Henry.

Henry, who had always been abusive of his power, who thought himself greater than anyone else, would turn against the true faith and make himself Pope of England. He would become a tyrant, he would destroy the England she and Arthur had wanted; he would turn Spain and France against them. England would die. And all for Henry's love of this woman who he would throw aside soon if she did not give him a son...

Katherine's face flickered in despair and Anne smiled at the queen's expression. "I am sure His Majesty will be generous enough to give you an adequate castle for your home."

Katherine meets Anne's eyes, the dark abyss against the bluest sapphire. Anne shirks away at the intensity of the queen's stare surprised, caught off guard. "Mistress Boleyn you do not know what you have done," Katherine told her coldly, "You do not know what you have unleashed on England, what you have unleashed on Christendom, what you have unleashed on yourself."

"W-what do y-you mean?" Anne stuttered, attempting to regain her composure after the surprise.

"If Henry cast me aside, his wife of more than two decades, then what will happen if you make a mistake? If you cannot give England a prince? Nothing can stop him now, Mistress Boleyn. Not when you have shown him he can defy the Holy Father, not when he has divorced me without just cause," Anne's face has grown several shades whiter in her shock, "God help you, Anne Boleyn. God help you with the sins you have committed, with the thing you have unleashed."

Katherine walks away with the dignity of the queen she was born and raised to be. Her ladies flock back to her and the men lead the way again. Anne Boleyn is left standing in the hall, frozen in shock at the queen's words.

Closing her eyes to the world for a moment and mastering herself again, Katherine of Aragon, the Dowager Princess, can barely hear Anne Boleyn's words of fury. "He loves me! He will never cast me aside as he did to you! I _will_ give him a son and not a girl like you did!"

The former Queen of England ignores the future Queen of England's fury. She faces her fate courageously, knowing that she must fight, even if she dies trying. She must be strong for her daughter, her beautiful daughter that she might never see again. She must confide in no one but God and pray for Henry to return to her and see reason so that England; the England that was to be hers and her beloved Arthur's, will be saved.

And even though Anne Boleyn caused all this; even though she cast her out and destroyed, Katherine of Aragon could not stop herself from telling the younger woman to be careful; she cannot help from praying that the sins she has committed do not destroy everything she holds dear.

How could she not? How could she not attempt to tell Henry's future queen to protect herself and this country if she can?

For it is not for love of herself, or love of her daughter of the man that cast her aside. It is for her love of England. And it is for that that she advises the Boleyn girl.

From one queen to another.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this fic. I've recently become interested in Tudor history, and Katherine, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleaves, Queen Mary 1 and Queen Elizabeth 1 have interested me so much among the people in this dangerous, intriguing time in history at Henry VIII's court._

_Please review, I do enjoy them! _


End file.
